Locomotive boiler



July 14, 1931. E. J. NOEL LOCOMOTIVE BOILER @FiledSept. 16'. 1929 Patented July 14, 1931 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST J. NOEL, OF IRONTON, OHIO, ASSIGIVOR TO LOOOMOTIVE FIREBOX COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE LOOOMOTIVE BOILER Application filed September 16, 1929. Serial No. 392,978.

This invention relates to improvements in locomotive boilers and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

The primary object of the invention is to provide in a boiler of this kind having a firebox of the combustion chamber type, a structure whereby one or more water steaming and circulating elements may be advantageously employed and so disposed in the firebox that the inlet ends may be caused to draw water from the front throat and dis-charge it through the crown sheet to increase the water steaming and circulating efliciency of the boiler as a whole.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a boiler having a firebox of this kind, an upright transverse water wall spaced rearwardly from the flue sheet and preferably disposed in the plane of the front water leg, whereby thermic siphons may be disposed in the firebox fore and aft said wall and to which the inlet ends of the siphons are operatively connected.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dished portion in that sheet of the transverse water wall opposite the diaphragm in the other sheet and to which the inlet end of an associated siphon is attached whereby the normal width of the water wall is maintained at this point so that the inlet end of the siphon is in no manner restricted by use of'the diaphragm.

These objects of the invention as well as others together with the many advantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings v Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a locomotive boiler embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the same on an enlarged scale as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the. locomotive firebox illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the same includes a fire chamber which extends from the back sheet 1 to the flue sheet 2 and from one to the other of the side sheets 33. In the open bottom portion of the fire chamber is located the usual grate as indicated by the dotted line 4. This grate extends from the back sheet 1 to the inner throat sheet 5 which is spaced rearwardly from the flue sheet.

The top of the firebox is formed by a crown sheet 6 which extends from the back sheet to the flue sheet and between-s aid flue sheet and inner throat sheet is formed a combustion chamher 7. The top of this combustion chamber is formed by a portion of the crown sheet, its sides 8 are formed by end parts of continuations of the side sheets 3 and its bottom is formed by a horizontal wall 9 that merges into said end parts or continuations of the side sheets as best shown in Fig. 2. In this instance the bottom wall of the combustion chamber extends from the flue sheet to a point spaced forwardly from the plane of the inner throat sheet.

The firebox just described is enclosed by a top'sheet 10 and outer side sheets 1111, an

outside throat sheet 12 and an outside back plate 13 which provide the wrapper for said firebox and connected to said top sheet, outer side sheets and the outside throatv sheet is the boiler shell 14. The several sheets just above mentioned, together with the various. sheets of the firebox define the several water legs of the boiler; namely,the front leg or throat 15, the side'legs 16-16 and back water legs 17 all closed at the bottom by a mud ring 18. The several coacting sheets are connected together by means of the stay bolts 19.

In the inner and outer back sheets are coacting flanges to provide the fuel door opening 20 and connected to the flue sheet within the shell 14 are the flues 21 through which the .products of combustion pass from the fire chamber to the smoke box inthe manner well known.

In the plane of the front water leg 16 I provide an upright transverse water Wall 22 which opens at each side into the front ends of the side water legs 16. wateiwall the front throat sheet 5 is. con- To form such a tinued upwardly to form the rear sheet 23 of said wall and in connection therewith is a second sheet'2 1 spaced forwardly therefrom, that isconnectedalong its bottom edge with the sheet 9 of the combustion chamber. Both sheets are connected together by a rounded top portion 25 and both sheets include end flanges 26 that are welded in corresponding openings in the side sheet 3 and the continuations thereof which form the sides of the combustion chamber. The water wall increases in height at its ends from its mid portion and is in communication at its bottom with both the front water leg 15 and the boiler water space beneath the combustion chamber as best shown in Fig. 1.

In connection with the structure described I may employ one or more sets of water steaming and circulating elements, arranged either foreor aft the water wall or both fore andaft the same'and this last mentioned arrangement is shown in Fig. 1. p

The water steaming and circulating elements employed herein constitute what have now become known as the Nicholson thermic siphons and when a'pluralit'y of such siphons are employed in both'the fire and combustion chambers, those in the combustion chambers are disposed in planes between those in the fire chamber. Such'elements maybe of the shape or form desired but they all embody the same basic parts; namely, a flat, substantially triangular, hollow body that opens through thecrown sheet and a tubular neck inclined downwardly therefrom and opening into the transverse water wall 22.

The siphons in the fire chamber are each indicated as a whole by the numeral 27 and the siphons in the combustion chamber are each indicated as a whole by the numeral 28. In each instance,'the siphons each includea substantially triangularly shaped flat hollow body 29 suitably stay bolted, and "a tubular neck 30.

Each body 29 is open at its top and is flanged for welding in a longitudinally extending slot in the crown sheet in the usual manner.

The neck 30 of each siphon 27in the'fi're chamber is engaged and welded in a flexible diaphragm 31 formed in the throat sheet 5 in approximately the plane of the bottom of the combustion chamber while the neck 30 of each siphon 28 in the combustion chamber is engaged in a flexible diaphragm 32 formed in the front sheet 24 of the water wall in a plane above that of the diaphragms 31. In the rear sheet of the transverse water wall, in line with the diaphragms, are outwardly convexed or dished portions 33 whereby, even though the diaphragms extend into said-wall the width thereof in the plane of the inlet necks of the siphons is in no manner reduced or restricted. The opposed sheets of the water wall are suitably stayed to resist internal pressures.

The construction above mentioned permlts of the introduction into the firebox ofthe boiler of a greater number of'water steaming and circulating elements than has heretofore been possible whereby the water steaming and circulating efiiciency of the boiler is proportionally increased. Again with such elements or siphons disposed in the combustion chamber, assurance. is had that the front and higher endof the crown sheet will be flooded with water even though the normal water level falls below the plane of said end of the crown sheet. It is also pointed out that the fore and aft circulation of boiler water is increased by reason of drawing the water from the transverse water wall and discharging it above 7 the crown sheet and again 'it is pointed out that the transverse water wall permits the locating of the inlet neck '30of the siphons27 in a position above the fuel bed burning upon the grate 4;.

lVhile in describing-my invention, I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and constructionof the various parts thereof, thesame is to be considered merely as illustrative so that I do not wish to be limited legs of the boiler, and including spaced sheets, a thermic siphon in said firebox opening at one end through the crownsheet of the firebox and having atubular neck at the other end. and a flexible diaphragm in one of said sheets in which said neck is secured,-the other sheet having anoutwardly dished portion in line with said diaphragm. -In-testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of Sept, 1929.

. E. J. NOEL. 

